Tube compressor



April 15, 1958 F. BURGER 2,830,734

TUBE COMPRESSOR Filed Dec. 7, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I "nu 1- 1 [I 4m g; V7 Y \a/ 1 6 w w W- I 7 14 36 5-H 33 INVENTOR. I]

F 50 BURGER April 15, 1958 F. BURGER 2,830,734

TUBE COMPRESSOR Filed Dec. 7, 1954 a Sheets-Sheet 2 April 15, 1958 F. BURGER TUBE COMPRESSOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. '7, 1954 INVENTOR. RED BURGER TUBE COMPRESSOR Fred Burger, Highland Park, N. J.

Application December 7,1954, Serial No. 473,694

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-401) This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for expelling the contents of containers of the collapsible tube variety.

Many varied types of apparatus for expelling or removing the contents of such tubes have been described and suggested at various times in the past. While generally operable in more or less satisfactory degree, the various devices heretofore proposed have suifered from a variety of disadvantages.

In some of the prior art devices the tube has been compressed progressively between a pair of rolls, and driven between the rolls by the force of frictional engagement between the rolls and the walls of the tube. This type is disadvantageous in that the frictional force is not always sufiicient to prevent slippage, especially on glossy-painted tubes, or when the pasty contents of the tube is especially viscous and stiff. This difiiculty has been overcome in some adaptations by providing a knurled or other uneven surface on the rollers, but this type of roll tends to leave pockets in the tube, so that it is not completely emptied, and more important, has a pronounced tendency to tear the tube open, thus defeating the whole purpose of the operation.

Other prior art devices also provided compression members in the form of rolls or the like, coupled with traction means of various kinds designed to clamp on the bottom end of the tube and pull it between the rolls or other compression members. This class of device represents an improvement over those of the type first mentioned, but devices of this class were in general of such construction that the tension created in operation tended to pull the conventional channel-shaped closure member oif the bottom of the tube, with generally disastrous consequences. In addition, devices of this type were ordinarily of a construction which made removal of the empty tube a rather inconvenient operation involving the return of the tube at the end of the cycle to its original starting position by reversing the operations used to empty the tube.

These difiiculties, or some of them, were formerly of little significance, since the tubes were used in connection with inexpensive materials, or with materials used only on a small scale. or where for other reasons complete evacuation of the tube and speed and efiiciency of the apparatus were not of particular importance.

In recent years, however. the use of collapsible tubes has undergone considerable development, and one of the most commercially important aspects of this development is the practice of filling the tubes with precisely measured quantities of material. An example of the application of this method is in the paint industry. The paint dealer is now supplied with a base stock of white paint and an assortment of tubes containing measured quantities of oil colors. Upon receipt of an order for a given color, he then is able to select the proper size tube of the appropriate oil color, empty it completely into a specified quantity of the base stock, and mix, to achieve a precise and reproducible colored paint. The advantages of such United States atent '0 f 2,830,734 Patented Apr. 15, 1958 "ice a system are enormous because of the savings in storage space and inventory investment compared to the old system of stocking a complete supply of ready-to-use paint in all shades. This development has, however, created a definite need for a simple positively-acting device which will empty the color tube substantially quantitatively.

it is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for emptying collapsible tubes. A further object is to provide such a device which will not tear or distort the tube in use. An additional object is to provide a tube-collapsing device of improved simplicity and eiiiciency in operation. Still another object is to provide a device which may be permanently mounted and which may, if desired, be operated using only one hand. These and other objects will become apparent as this invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Broadly, this invention contemplates a tube compressor comprising a fixed bed having a delivery station at a fixed point thereon, clamping means associated with said bed and operative to grasp the bottom closure of any of a plurality of tubes of varying lengths and thereby fix said bottom closure at a point removed from said delivery station by a distance substantially equal to the length of said tube, a compression roll operative to roll along said bed and compress a collapsible tube against the same, a spindle projecting axially from an end of said roll, guide means adapted to bear against said spindle and thereby urge said roll toward said bed, while permitting unimpeded rolling motion of said roll longitudinally of said bed, and drive means, said drive means comprising a handle lever pivotally mounted on said bed at one extremity of said lever and a drive rod having one extremity operatively connected with the aforesaid spindle and pivotally connected at the other extremity with said handle lever at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said drive means operative to urge said roll longitudinally of said bed from a point rearward of said clamping means substantially to said delivery station but no further.

Preferably, the compression roll is provided with two axial spindles, one at each end of said roll, and the guide means are duplicated, providing a guide track for each spindle, so that the tension on the roll is equalized. If desired, however, the guide means may be provided at one side only; when such is the case, the spindle will preferably be made integral with the drive rod and journalled into the roll in such manner that the roll is free to rotate independently of the spindle.

Preferably also, the roll is provided with a resilient cushion, for example a rubber sheath, so that variations in the tube thickness or hard lumps in the contents of the tube do not prevent efiicient evacuation, or tend to jam the roller or tear the tube, as might be the case if no flexibility were provided. Also, if desired, the guide means for the spindle may be resilient, so that the roll as a whole is yieldingly urged toward the bed.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the length of the handle lever from its pivotal connection with the bed to its pivotal connection with the drive rod, and the length of the drive rod from the later point to its connection with the spindle, are so chosen that the roll is capable of travelling to, but precluded from ravelling substantially beyond, the discharge station. Such arrangement ensures complete and uniform evacuation of the tube and of successive tubes, but precludes overtravel of the roll which would tend to tear of? the heavy upper portion of the tube and drop it into the receptacle below the discharge station.

The clamping means is preferably so chosen as to accommodate a variety of tube sizes, since the tubes in question are supplied in a range of standardized sizes; This purpose may be accomplished by providing a plurality of fixed clamps along the base of the bed, each clamp at a point removed from the discharge station by a distance equal to the length of one of the standard tubes. Preferably, however, the clamping means is continuously ad-. justable relative to its distance from the discharge station. Where such is the case, additional clamping means must be provided to fix the position of the tube-base clamp itself. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention hereinafter described, these two clamping means are embodied in one integral structure, so that a single opera-' tion serves to fix the position of the tube-base clamp in relation to the bed, and also to cause the tube-base clamp to grip the base of a tube.

While the tube-base clamp may, if desired, be coplanar with the bed, this results in a tendency for the mouth of the tube to be elevated above the discharge station, and it is preferred to elevate the gripping portion of the tube-base clamp somewhat-say /2" to l /2above the base of the bed. Such an arrangement allows the tube to lie flat along the bed at all times.

Particularly in the last-mentioned embodiment, but also in the other possible modifications, it is important to avoid the possibility of the roll becoming jammed against the clamping mechanism prior to reaching the tube. This object is preferably accomplished by providing a curved track for the spindle, the position of said track also being adjustable to accommodate a variety of tube sizes, in such manner that when the tube-base clamp and the track are both in proper position for a given size of tube, the roll is held away from the bed until it reaches a point just forward of the tube-base clamp. Preferably, the track and the tube-base clamp constitute a single unitary subassembly, so that fixing the position of the one automatically fixes the position of the other.

In a most convenient embodiment of the present invention, the whole assembly, comprising bed, clamping means, guide means, roll, etc, is supported on a fixed base by means of a freely-telescoping column or the like, so that the bed and associated structure may be lifted with one hand while a receptacle, such as a paint can or the like, is positioned beneath the discharge station with the other, after which the bed and related parts may be allowed to rest on the lip of the receptacle.

Referring now to the figures:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View, on a somewhat larger scale,

of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of one member of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of a subassembly of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprising the member shown in Fig. 5 and associated members.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the device according to this invention, showing bed 11, tube clamping means in the form of flange 12 mounted on clamp spindle 35. Also shown in Fig. l is the manner in which the marginal portions of bed 11 are turned back upon themselves to form channels 33, 33 within which the subassembly comprising the clamps and the roll-guide is free to slide. station 15, which in this embodiment is merely the forward end of bed 11, guide means 16 comprising a curved track 17, the curved track operative to receive and guide spindles 34, 34 which project axially from compression roll 18. Fig. 1 also illustrates the operating assembly in the form of a short drive rod 19 connected at its lower end through fork 20 to spindles 34, 34 and at its upper end by pivot 21 to handle lever 22. Handle lever 2 2.inturn is pivotally connected at 23 to a projection of the bed. A

Also shown in Fig. l is the discharge all tube to be emptied is shown in dotted outline, in operative position ready to be discharged. Discharge of the tube is accomplished by pulling down on handle lever 22, which causes roll 18, guided by the spindles in their tracks, to move forward and downward, making contact with the tube just forward of the clamp and pressing the tube fiat against the bed from that point forward.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the device of Fig. 1, showing additional details of the clamping means. in particular, Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which flung 12 of the tube-clamping means, upon rotation of spindle by means of key-handle 14, presses the bottom of the tube securely against the lip of the associated edge of inclined plate 37. Also shown in Fig. 2 the tube clamp positioning means comprising flange 33, also mounted on spindle 35 and resilient pressure member 36. in operation, a single movement of key handle 14 swings flange 12 downwardly to clamp the bottom of the tube, and flange 13 downwardly to exert a camming action against pressure member 36, which then presses against the bed. Since upward movement of the clamping means is precluded by the action of channels 33, 33, as described in connection with Fig. i, this pressure of member 36 against bed 11 has the effect of locking the clamp and roll-guide subassembly in place with respect to the bed. The disposition of the apparatus, as is shown in Fig. 2, is part way through the cycle, the tube being partially evacuated. Fig. 2 further shows a supporting member 25.

Fig. 3 illustrates another type of tube clamp that may be employed when it is not desired to have the clamp continuously adjustable with respect to its distance from the discharge station. Such a clamp is useful, for example, in the device of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of this invention, differing from the device of Figs. 1 and 2 principally in that instead of one continuously-adjustable tube clamp, there are provided a plurality of tube clamps, each at a preselected distance from the discharge station corresponding to the length of one of the standard tube sizes. In this embodiment, the bottom of the tube is clamped in whichever of the tube clamps 38, 38, 38 will place the mouth of the tube at the discharge station. The tube clamps shown in Fig. 4 are of the type illustrated in Fig. 3, and as can be seen from both figures, comprise a half-round or equivalent shaft journalled into fittings on the bed, beneath slots 39, 39, 39 in the bed itself. in operation, the bottom of the tube is inserted through the appropriate slot 39, after which a turn of knob 40 (Fig. 3) clamps the bottom of the tube securely in place.

Of course, it is also possible to provide only one tube clamp at a fixed station, but such is not ordinarily preferred because it effectively limits the usefulness of the device to a single tube size and it is usually desired to employ a variety of tube sizes.

In the case of those embodiments where the distance from the discharge station to the base clamp is continuously adjustable, it is convenient to provide indicia on a portion of the device that is fixed relative to the discharge station and correlative indicia on a portion that is fixed relative to the tube-base clamp, so that the proper position for the clamp may be preset for a given tube size. Such an arrangement is not essential, however, as the position of the clamp may obviously be set by reference to the tube itself.

The device of the present invention provides a simple, easily-operated and dependable solution to the problem of emptying collapsible tubes substantially quantitatively and with minimum possibility of accident. It is capable ofaccommodating tubes of varying sizes, and accomplishes substantially complete evacuation with little or no possibility of tearing or distorting the tube in operation. It may, if desired, be operated using only one hand.

While this invention has been described in reference to certain'embodiments and illustrated in certain specific forms, these are to be understood as illustrative only, and the invention is not to be limited, except as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tube compressor comprising a fixed bed having a delivery station at a fixed point thereon, clamping means comprising a tube-base clamp associated with said delivery station but at a variable distance therefrom, a tube-clamp positioning clamp operative to fix the position of said tube-base clamp relative to said delivery station, said clamping means operative to grasp the bottom closure of any of a plurality of tubes of varying lengths and thereby fix said bottom closure at a point removed from said delivery station by a distance substantially equal to the length of said tube, a compression roll operative to roll along said bed and compress a collapsible tube against the same, a spindle projecting axially from said roll, guide means adapted to bear against said spindle and thereby urge said roll toward said bed while permitting unimpeded rolling motion of said roll longitudinally of said bed, and drive means, said drive means comprising a handle lever pivotally mounted on said bed at one extremity of said lever and a drive rod having one extremity operatively connected with the aforementioned spindle and pivotally connected at the other extremity with said handle lever at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said drive means operative to urge said roll longitudinally of said bed from a point rearward of said clamping means substantially to said delivery station but no farther.

2. A tube compressor comprising a fixed bed having a delivery station at a fixed point thereon, clamping means associated with said bed and operative to grasp the bottom closure of any of a plurality of tubes of varying lengths and thereby fix said bottom closure at a point removed from said delivery station by a distance substantially equal to the length of said tube, a compression roll operative to roll along said bed and compress a collapsible tube against the same, a spindle projecting axially from an end of said roll, guide means comprising a curved track for said spindle, said track operative to hold said roll away from said bed until said roll reaches a point just forward of said tube-base clamping means, and to urge said roll toward said bed from that point forward while permitting unimpeded rolling motion of said roll longitudinally of said bed, and drive means, said drive means comprising a handle lever pivotally mounted on said bed at one extremity of said lever and a drive rod having one extremity operatively connected with the aforementioned spindle and pivotally connected at the other extremity with said handle lever at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said drive means operative to urge said roll longitudinally of said bed from a point rearward of said clamping means substantially to said delivery station but no farther.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,834 Parks May 25, 1937 2,168,080 Allen Aug. 1, 1939 2,466,628 Waiters Apr. 5, 1949 2,679,951 Yantzer June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,304 Great Britain June 14, 1940 

